Christmas at the Bradley Lodge was full of adventure. Luke had his first sledding and first snowman building experiences! I got to ski with my dad and brother. And we opened lots of great gifts. Luke loved all his new cars toys to play with. 
Like last year, we spent Thanksgiving at the Bradley Lodge in Big Trees with the family. The big project this time was continuing to chop up the tree we had cut down a couple months ago. I got to use the chainsaw -- one step closer to my dream of becoming a lumberjack someday.
We got to preview Erin and Eric's new house they're building up there to get ready for the twins on the way. 
On the way home we stopped by Copperolpolis to see what the new downtown was all about and they just happened to be having a tree lighting ceremony that night. Everyone in town (~100 people) were out at City Hall to ride the horse-drawn carriage, listen to the carolers, and watch the tree light up. Luke didn't like the snowman very much, but other than that he enjoyed our little 15 minute detour.
After Blake and Kara's wedding we spent a few days relaxing at the cabin. Luke enjoyed watching the blue jays come steal peanuts off the back porch. He's got good eyes; he could spot them way up in the trees.
This was the first time we checked out the cabin's community pool area -- it's awesome! It's got everything... big grass area, two pools, ping-pong, tennis, basketball, shuffleboard, and a sack bar!
Standing is one of Luke's favorite pastimes...
The other favorite is boating...
We celebrated our first Thanksgiving at the Bradley Lodge this year.
We played some rousing games of Hillbilly Horseshoes,
and looked up,
at some very big trees.
Luke is getting hugemongous!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
The whole family...
And we finished with some wine tasting at the Twisted Oak winery. Do you recognize the lamp from "A Christmas Story"? 
Looking for a beautiful mountain getaway with all the comforts of home? We've really enjoyed staying at my parent's cabin in Big Trees and now it's available for vacation rental so you can enjoy it as well! Look at this kitchen, wow!...
Click here to check out more pictures and book online.
There are many more pictures and a more detailed list of amenities online if you're interested.
Its 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths can fit anywhere from 2-12 people (a couple families) comfortably. Near Big Trees State Park, hiking, kayaking, fishing, snowshoeing, winetasting, great launching point for a ski weekend at Bear Valley, flat screen TV, new appliances and furniture, ping-pong table, yada yada...
Good times skiing and snowshoeing with family and friends around Arnold.
